Will a vertical facelift make the face look more natural and last longer?

Dear t.kathy02-

 

In general, plastic surgeons will want to redirect your tissues in a direction, or vector, to achieve the most youthful and rejuvenating result.  In the past, this direction was towards the side.  With more modern techniques, this direction is definitely more vertical-  more up, as opposed to the side. 

Every facelift is individualized, but in general, to get the most natural result, the SMAS and the skin are repositioned in an upward fashion. 

The longevitiy of your facelift is based on your direction, along with the technique used and how quickly your body ages.  We can turn back the hands of time, but the clock keeps on ticking!

 

Best Wishes,

Roy Kim, MD
 

Most face lifts performed  should have a vector of pull that is more vertical than horizontal - so there is really nothing novel or unique about a vertical face lift

Below is an example of a vertical lift

Many methods of facelfits can give good reults that last:


hold old are you

how is your skin elasticity

what is the doctors experience

what is his preference

are shorter scars important

is a quicker surgery and quicker healing more important

look up Lite Lift and Lifte Style Lift on the internet

The term “vertical facelift” is one that is not clear.  I would suggest to you that you find a surgeon who is experience with this surgery and can individualize the direction of pull to give you the result you seek.

There are many different types of facelift procedures. Some are simple while others are more complex. The goal of any facelift should be to leave the patient with a "balanced" youthful and rested appearance. Unfortunately "balanced" is a highly marketed catch word and may mean different things to different people. A "vertical" lift describes a direction of pull. It usually describes the direction of pull of the intermediate layers of tissue beneath the skin, often described as the "SMAS". You can think of it like a bed (the facial skeleton), the blankets (the SMAS) and the bedspread (the skin). The best facelifts lift the bedspread, tighten the blanket and the gently spread the bedspread back over the bed and blankets. Thus, the "tightening" of a facelift occurs beneath the skin. That way the skin is not "pulling" the rest of the face, which can give a pulled un-balanced appearance. When the SMAS is lift in a vertical direction it tends to give a more natural appearance.

The result of a facelift as well as how much it lasts will depend on a variety of factors.  Once you choose the right certified plastic surgeon, he will be able to suggest what is the best technique for you.  Do keep in mind that genetics, sun exposure, lack of sleep, too much stress, constant weight changes, will all influence the result of a facelift.

There is no standard facelift that fits all patients. Anyone saying that the vertical lift the answer is pure marketing gimmick. The vectors of lift must be individualized along with other ancillary procedures that may be needed. In general in a multiplane lift some of the layers may be vectored posterosuperiorly while others more vertically. The key is to get a natural look that may vary from patient to patient. Get several opinions.

The Short Scar Vertical Facelift was introduced over ten years ago by Drs. Tonnard and Verpaele from Belgium. Their experience with this technique has shown that it provides a very natural and lasting facelift for most people. The advantages of a Short Scar Vertical Facelift include a very natural and less distorted look to the face because the tension or vectors of the lift are purely vertical, almost as if you look in the mirror and lift your face with your fingers. The traditional facelift pulls the structures further back towards the ears which flattens and widens the face. The Vertical Facelift is a safe technique which involves less dissection and trauma to the underlining tissues of the face or neck. The Vertical Facelift has the advantage of not removing any of the area of the temporal hairline and can be repeated over time, with the least amount of distortion. When combined with other facial rejuvenation procedures, such as endoscopic browlift, blepharoplasty and liposuction surgery. My findings are that the Vertical Facelift is a powerful and enduring technique that is well accepted by my patients. 

Having a facelift can and should be a very positive experience in a persons life.  There is truly an art to this procedure.  The goal should be to restore one's face to a more youthful version.  The direction of lift in most cases is vertical, restoring the volume that has fallen over time to its original position but this should be tailored to the specific needs of the individual. Often times the procedures that are promoted with minimal downtime don't fully address the problem and can lead to an abnormal direction of "pull" and unsatisfactory results.  It is important to choose your surgeon carefully.

The real talent in perfoming a facelift is to obtain a vector of pull that accomplishes what the patients needs and avoids the wind tunnel look/ Choose you surgeon carefully